Latch



Jupe 19? 1945. E. R. PEKNY LATCH Filed Dec. 9, 1943l IN VEN T0 EDWARD R.PEKNY A TTORNE Y Patented June 19, 1945 LATCH Edward R. Pekny, Buffalo,N. Y., asslgnor to Curtiss-Wright Corporation, acorporation of DelawareApplication December 9, 1943, Serial No. 513,572

` claims. (c1. 292-111) l This invention relates to a latchcharacterized by features which adapt it particularly, although notnecessarily, for use in connection with closures of the self-sealingtype, i e., closures which are so designed that during the iinal stagesof their closing movements they are engageablewith, and compress, ayieldable sealing means.

One object of the invention is to provide a end wall of the closure andthe frame member I2. As illustrated, the latch includes a housing I5which is mounted on a bracket I6, the latter being welded or otherwisesecured on the back of a panel I'l of the closure. The'housing I5comprises a plate I3 and a U-shaped member I9, a

' spindle 20 which is mounted in the said member latch of the kindgenerally described which will be suitable for use in connection withclosures which, owing to their size and weight, may require the use ofconsiderable force to close them fully, this object contemplating a,latch having a high mechanical advantage which will enable closures ofthis type to be closed securely and with facility.

A further object is to provide a latch which is operable over asubstantial range of the nal stage of the closing movement of theclosure and which may be readily released in any closed position whichthe closure may occupy in said range, thereby insuring properfunctioning of the latch with sealing means of various kinds and under'I'he invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l ls a fragmentary section through a closure and an associatedframe structure, the closure being secured in a closed position by alatchY embodying the features of the invention.

Figure y2 is a transverse section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken along line 3-3 of the samefigure.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3. y

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the latching element indifferent release positions.

1- Figure 6 is a detail section taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5.

The latch, which is indicated generally at l0, is illustrated inconnection with a closure Il, the structure with .which the closure isassociated being sumciently indicatedv for the. purpose in view by aShowing of a frame member I2. 'I'he latter carries a yieldable sealingelement I3 of rubber or the like which is engaged and compressed by anend wall I4 of the closure vas it approaches a. fully closed position.Means is thus provided for sealing the joint between the having a shankextension 2I which projects through aligned holes in the bracket I6 andpanel I1 and carrying a handle 22 on its outer end. Within the housingI5 the spindle carries an eccentric 2 3 while at its inner end it mayalso be formed to receive a. handle (not shown), if desited. -Theeccentric is mounted between spacing discs 24 and carries the inner endof a latch element 25, the outer end of which is formed to provide ahook 26 which may enter a slot 21 formed in a keeper 23 mounted on themember I 2.

The latch element 25 is biased toward, and is normally held in akeeper-engaging position by a spring 29, the upper end of which isconnected to the body portion of the latch element and the lower end ofwhich is connected to a bracket 30. When located in the positiondescribed, a tailpiece 3I on the latch element contacts, or is locatedin close proximity to, a' pin 32 which is carried by the plate I3, thesaid tail-piece and pin cooperating, when the closure is open, toprevent the spring 23 from moving thelatch element 25 to any position inwhich the nose of the hooked end 26 will not automatically ride over thekeeper 23 and enter slot 2l when the closure member is closed.

VThe body portion of the latch element 25 is formed with an arcuateshoulder 33. The lower end of the latter provides a stop 34 forcooperating with a pin 35, whichis carried by the eccentric 23, to limitangular movement of the eccentric in a clockwise, or locking, directionand thereby similarly limit movement of the handle 22. The pin 36v isalso adapted to cooperate with a. pin 36 which, in the position of theparts illustrated in Figure 3, is carried by the latch element at theopposite side of the eccentric.

When the closure is open, the tail-piece 3l enmitted to the latchelement through the agency of the pins 3i and 3B. Hence the latchelement may be manually moved so that the hooked end 2B will clear theiront end of the keeper. When the handle is released, the spring 28 willcause the hooked end of the latch element to enter the slot in thekeeper. Thereafter the handle may be turned in clockwise direction.During this movement oi' the handle, the eccentric 23 is operative toretract the latch element, the hooked end oi the latter iirst taking upthe clearance between it and the outer end wall of the slot in thekeeper and thereafter urging the closure bodily toward the member I2 tothereby compress the sealing element Il and thus insure a tight Jointbetween the closure and the frame member.

As the compressing action exercised on the sealing element takes place,the handle 22 approaches a position corresponding to the fully closedposition of the closure and the pin 35 engages the stop Il. 'I'hemovement of the handle is thereby arrested. The action of the pin 35against the stop 3H, however, tends to rotate the latch element with it.Hence the latch element is positively biased against the keeper at thesame time the eccentric 2l is tending to pull the latch element intotighter engagement with the end wall of the slot 21. 'I'hese forces,therefore, act upon the latch element to insure its tight and eilectiveengagement with the keeper.

To release the latch, it is only necessary to turn the handle in theopposite direction. During the iirst part of this movement the latchelement is advanced by the eccentric and the hooked end of the elementis moved to the full-line position shown in Figure 5. During the iinalpart of such movement the pin engages the pin Il and thereby causes thelatch element to, move with the handle to the dotted-line positionindicated in the same figure, movement of the latch element beyond thisposition being prevented by its engagement with the upper wall 21 of themember Il. The closure may thereupon be opened readily without anyinterference between the latch element and the keeper.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the latch constructiondescribed has the advantage that it is operative automatically to causethe closure to compress a sealing element which may be employed in'connection with the closure to render the latter more effective for thepurpose for which it may be intended. A further advantage obtained isthat the engagement and disengagement 'of the latch element with thekeeper is not prevented or rendered less certain by the use of a sealingelement-for the purpose and in the manner described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A latch of the character described including an element which isadapted to engage a keeper, an eccentric to which said element isconnected and which is rotatable in one direction to advance saidelement with respect to said keeper and in the opposite direction toretract it, a pair o! cooperating projections, one of which isstationary, for limiting movement of said element about saidlv eccentricin, said second mentioned direction, and a second pair of cooperatingpro- Jections carried bysaid element and eccentric for providing alost-motion connection, whereby when said element engages said keeperand said eccentric is rotated in said first mentioned direction, saideccentricl is operative first to advance said element as the lost motionbetween said second pair oiproiections is taken up and thereafter to.pivot said element out oi engagement with said keeper as one of saidsecond pair of projections engases the other.

2. A latch of the character described including an element which isadapted to engage a keeper. an eccentric to which said element isconnected and which is rotatable in one direction to advance saidelement with respect to said keeper and in the opposite direction toretract it, a pair of cooperating projections, one of which is stefltionary, for limiting movement of said element about said eccentric insaid second mentioned direction, a second pair of cooperating proiec=tions carried by said element and eccentric for providing a lost-motionconnection, whereby when'said element engages said keeper and saideccentric is rotated in said rst mentioned diCJ rection, said eccentricis operative first to ad vance said element as the lost motion between'said second pair of projections is taken up and thereafter to pivot saidelement out of engages ment with said keeper as one of said second pairof projections engages the other, and another pres jection for limitingmovement of said element in said pivoting movement.

3. A latch of the character described including an element which isadapted-to cooperate with a keeper, resilient means for biasing saidelement into engagement with said keeper, an eccentric to which saidelement is connected, a handle for rotating said eccentric in onedirection to advance said element with respect to'said keeper and whichis rotatable in the opposite Vdirection to retract it, a xed stop, atail-piece carried by said element which is engageable with said stop 40tion, whereby when said element engages said keeper and said eccentricis rotated in saidrst mentioned direction, said eccentric is operativefirst to advance said element as the lost motion between saidprojections is taken up and there- Aafter to pivot said element out ofengagement with said keeper against the action of said re-l silientmeans as one of said projections engages the other.

4.- A latch of the character described including an element which isadapted to cooperate with a keeper, resilient means for biasing saidelement into engagement with said keeper, an eccentric to which saidelement is connected, a handle for rotating said eccentric in onedirection to advance said element with respect to said keeper and whichis rotatable in the opposite direction to retract it, a xed stop, atail-piece carried by said element which.is engageabie with said stopfor limiting movement of said element about said eccentric in saidsecond mentioned direction, cooperating projections'carried by saideccentric and element for providing a lost-motion connes tion, wherebywhen said element engages said keeper and said eccentric is rotated insaid rst mentioned direction, said eccentric is operative ilrst toadvance said element as the lost motion between said projections istaken up and thereafter to pivot said element out of engagement withsaid keeper against the action of said resilient means as one of saidprojections engages the other, and a stop carried by` said element andcooperating with the projection carried by said eccentric for limitingmovement of said element in said second mentioned direction.

5. A latch of the character described including an element which isadapted to engage a keeper, an eccentric to which said element isconnected and which is, with respect to said element, ro-

' tatable in one direction to advance said element with respect to saidkeeper and in thel opposite direction to retract it, a pair of spacedprojections carried by said element, and a projection carried on saideccentric adapted to cooperate with one of said spaced projections forproviding a iirst lost-motion connection, whereby when after. to pivotsaid element out of engagement with said keeper,v said eccentricprojection also cooperating'with the other of said spaced projectionsfor providing a second and opposite lost-mo:l tion connection,v wherebywhen said element engages said keeper and said eccentric is rotated insaid opposite direction, said eccentricis rendered operative to retractsaid element as said opposite lost-motion is taken up, thereafter theother of said projections being effective to limit further rotation ofsaid eccentric in said second mentioned direction.

EDWARD R.. PEKNY.

